Belief
by Akatsuki210
Summary: Oneshot. Itachi never opens up to anyone. But when he does talk to one of his fellow Akatsuki members, he finds his outlook on life challenged.


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

Warning: One of the major characters in this story hasn't been introduced in the anime yet, so if you haven't read the manga, you will be spoiled.

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**Belief**

The sun beat down upon the stark rock that surrounded the Akatsuki headquarters. High up in the mountains, it was a secluded and silent place. The heat and constant sun only heightened the oppressive atmosphere. Despite the high temperature, Itachi wore his black-and-red Akatsuki robe. Although there was no need to hide his face here, he also wore the hat with its strips of cloth and bells, mainly because it kept the sun off his face. Gathering chakra into his feet, he walked easily up the side of one particular cliff.

Atop this cliff was a broad plateau from which one could see for miles. It was the highest point in the mountain range, towering over even the nearby hideout. The bells on his hat jangled, sounding unreasonably loud in the summer silence. As he crested the top of the cliff, Itachi blinked in surprise. Someone was already here.

A figure was kneeling in the exact center of the plateau. He was also clad in an Akatsuki robe, and his hat lay discarded beside him. His platinum-blond hair shone in the sun. Itachi silently approached, curious about the low murmur that rose from the other man.

The other Akatsuki member held a string of beads in his hand, with a pendant at the end that represented some sort of mystical symbol—a triangle inside a circle. Itachi was close enough now to hear the words he was whispering. "Forgive my failures, and give me the strength to slay my enemies. Remove all obstacles from my path, and strike fear into the hearts of all those who oppose me."

Itachi came up alongside the man. "I didn't know anyone else came to this place."

Hidan looked up from his prayer beads, and cast Itachi a reproachful glance. He didn't like to be interrupted when he was praying. "I find that the calmness and quiet of this place helps to put me in the right state of mind for meditation or prayer."

"Why do you bother?"

Hidan turned to look at him, squinting in the bright sunlight. "What?"

"Why do you bother praying? Why ask for help from gods who never answer?"

"Do you not believe in the gods?"

Itachi stuck his hands in the pockets of his robe. "Of course I believe in them. I saw the Yondaime Hokage summon one of them when I was a child. But they do not intervene in human affairs. They do not concern themselves with us. They do not even care for their own children."

"Their children?"

Itachi sighed. His next words came slowly, as though he were reluctant to speak them. "A long time ago, the moon god Tsukiyomi looked down from his place in the sky and saw a mortal woman looking back at him. She was beautiful, and he took her in his arms. Nine months later, she bore a child. One day when the child was ten, raiders attacked the village where his family lived. The boy took up a sword and came to his mother's defense. As he did so, his eyes turned crimson. He saw the enemy's movements and copied them perfectly, learning how to fight instantly, though he had never before touched a weapon."

Hidan's eyes widened, and he scrambled to his feet. "Then…the Sharingan bloodline has a divine origin."

Itachi nodded wordlessly.

Hidan reached out and clasped Itachi's shoulders, pulling back when Itachi flinched at his touch. "Itachi-san, you are truly blessed!"

It took Hidan a moment to recognize the sound Itachi was making. It was laughter, but there was no mirth in it. On the contrary, it was the most bitter sound he had ever heard. "Blessed? To have the power of a god, but all the weaknesses of a human, is not a blessing, Hidan-san."

"But how can you, who are descended from one of the gods, have so little faith in them?"

"The gods…made us, but they care nothing for us. When my clan was young, they were persecuted by those who feared their power, and their creator did nothing to help them. Later, when they became established in shinobi society, they saw themselves as better than the others. They used their divine power to mask their human weaknesses, and the gods did nothing to correct them. When I took up arms against my clan, the deities did nothing to stop me, and even now they have not struck me down for my crime. They have done nothing to earn our loyalty. Weakness is the only blasphemy, and strength is the only thing I worship."

Itachi turned his back on Hidan, and began to walk away. He was nearly at the edge of the plateau when Hidan asked, "Do you ever think about your family?"

Itachi paused. He considered ignoring the question, which was what he'd done when Kisame had asked it. But he had already told Hidan more about himself than anyone else—except perhaps Sasuke—knew. One more bit of information could hardly hurt. "Sometimes." The truth was, his deceased clan was the main thing he thought about when he came to this place. _That_, however, was something he would never admit to anyone.

"I will say a prayer for them. For their souls."

Itachi did not respond, but did not descend from the plateau either. Instead, he listened as Hidan knelt, raised his prayer beads, and resumed his murmuring. "Bring the Uchiha clan safely across the gulf that separates our world from the afterlife, and let their souls know peace for all eternity…"

The words washed over Itachi like a gentle, cooling breeze. All alone on this peak, with the hot sun continuing to bake the mountaintop, no sound in the air except Hidan's prayers, the sweltering afternoon seemed almost surreal. Although it was something he ordinarily never would have done, Itachi found himself whispering under his breath. What harm could it do? "Mother, Father, Shisui-san…rest in peace…"

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A/N: I really have no clue where the idea for this story came from. It just popped into my head one day and I wrote it down. In most of the Akatsuki fics I've read, Itachi only really talks to Kisame, so I thought it would be interesting to show him interacting with one of the other members. Enjoy!


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